Web Sightings for 2002

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2002 Web Sightings

February 2002 - Critical Areas and Best Available Science

The Growth Management Act requires all cities and counties in Washington to adopt critical areas policies and regulations. By September 2002, all jurisdictions must review their critical areas ordinances and incorporate best available science in their regulations. Here are some links on critical areas and best available science:

Growth Management page on Best Available Science and Critical Areas - Washington State Office of Community Development
Best Available Science Rule (42 KB) - Association of Washington Cities
Critical and Environmentally Sensitive Areas - MRSC
Best Available Science for Wetlands (72 KB) - Washington State Department of Ecology
Priority Habitats and Species - Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Ordinance Provisions Relating to Environmentally Sensitive Areas - MRSC

March 2002 - Police and Law Enforcement

This month we have selected some links from MRSC's new Police and Law Enforcement pages:

Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) (WASPC's links page includes Washington sheriff offices, local police departments, and other law enforcement sites).
Community Policing Consortium - Partnership of police organizations administered and funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).
National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) - U.S. Department of Justice - Includes law enforcement publications and resources and access to information on other topics.
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
IACP Technology Clearinghouse - Central source for law enforcement technology information.
National Crime Prevention Council - National nonprofit educational organization focused on crime prevention by addressing the causes of crime and violence and reducing opportunities for crime to occur.

May 2002 - Fire Services

This month we're featuring fire services and fire prevention sites. Here are some of our favorites:

U.S. Fire Administration
National Fire Protection Association - Includes online catalog, codes and standards, research, and professional development
Washington State Association of Fire Chiefs
Washington Fire Commissioners Association - Research and legislative representation for Washington State fire districts
Washington State Fire Fighters Association
Access Washington Fire Protection and Firefighters Index - Includes state, county, city and district agencies
Interlocal Cooperation in Fire Districts - MRSC
Wildfire Prevention the Wildland/Urban Interface - MRSC

June 2002 - Fleet Management

This month's Web Sightings focuses on Fleet Management resources:

California Fleet News - Online supplement to California Fleet News. The site includes selected articles, industry calendar, and a publication bookstore.
National Association of Fleet Administrators - Home page for the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA).
Clean Cities/Department of Energy - U.S. Department of Energy Web site provides information on forming local Clean City Coalitions to address implementation energy conservation programs including use of alternative fuel vehicles.
Puget Sound Clean Cities Coalition - a collaboration of public and private stakeholders dedicated to increasing the use of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles in the Puget Sound region.
Fleet Owner - Online supplement for monthly trade magazine Fleet Owner. The site includes selected articles, industry calendar of events, and a buyer's guide.

July 2002 - Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

You've heard the buzz about ITS - intelligent transportation systems - and would like to find out more. Here are some places to start:

Intelligent Transportation Systems - U.S. Department of Transportation
Traffic and Intelligent Transportation Systems Research Program - WSDOT
ITS in Washington - U.S. Department of Transportation
ITS Research Center of Excellence - Texas Transportation Institute, Texas A&M University
Intelligent Transportation Society of America
Intelligent Transportation Systems - Puget Sound Regional Council
Automated Traffic Enforcement Page - MRSC

August 2002 - Preserving Agricultural Lands

Washington's Growth Management Act requires cities and counties in Washington to designate agricultural lands of long-term significance. Cities and counties with urban growth areas are required to adopt a program authorizing transfer or purchase of development rights from designated agricultural lands within UGAs. Here are some useful links on preserving farmlands:

September 2002 - Personnel Management and Legal Issues

Looking for some good resources on personnel management and legal issues? Take a look at these helpful sites:

Labor and Employment Publications - from Ogden Murphy Wallace's online law library
Labor and Employment Law - Indiana University School of Law Library's comprehensive labor and employment law links.
HRhero.com - created by M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC to help human resource professionals find quick answers to their employment law and management questions.
Employment Law - Association of Washington Public Hospital Districts - A comprehensive review of legal issues generally facing government employers and specifically public hospital districts.
Research in Labor and Employment Law - M.G. Gallagher Law Library, University of Washington School of Law
Labor and Employment Law Resource Center - from Perkins Coie's Web site
Employment Law Information Network - Employment law reference site for lawyers and human resource professionals.
AHI Employment Law Resource Center - Alexander Hamilton Institute's Employment Law Resource Center and newsletter cover all aspects of employment law.

October 2002 - Economic Development

Here are some of MRSC's suggested economic development links and resources for Washington communities:

MRSC's economic development page
Washington Development Network Online - A searchable online industrial and commercial properties database for Washington State.
Washington Community Economic Revitalization Team (WA-CERT) - Provides a single point of access to state and federal community and economic development programs targeted to rural Washington.
USA.gov - US Government gateway links to economic development and infrastructure .
Local Government Commission Economic Development page - The LGC provides a forum and technical assistance to enhance the ability of local governments to create and sustain healthy environments, healthy economies, and social equity.
Community and Economic Toolbox - a joint collaboration between Cornell University and Penn State University maintained by the Community and Rural Development Institute (CaRDI) located at Cornell University.
Economic Development - City of Renton's Economic Development Division Web page.
Tacoma Economic Development Department

November 2002 - Low Impact Development

Low impact development (LID) is an integrated, environmentally-friendly approach to land development and stormwater management designed to reduce impacts on watershed hydrology. It emphasizes development techniques that conserve natural vegetation and soils, such as reducing impervious surfaces, using natural landscape features for stormwater treatment, and clustering. For more information see these useful Web resources:

Low Impact Development Center
Introduction to Low Impact Development - Frequently Asked Questions - provided by Low Impact Development Center
Low Impact Development in Puget Sound - Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team (includes abstracts from 2001 conference, Web links and more)
Using Low-Impact Development in Stormwater Management - by Water Environment Research Foundation
U.S. EPA Low Impact Development Literature Review and Fact Sheets
Pierce County Low Impact Development Study, 2001 (692 KB)
Olympia Impervious Surface Reduction Study (437 KB)

December 2002 - Indian Gaming

The topic of tribal gaming has been a hot issue in recent years, as many casinos are being developed by Indian tribes in Washington and other states. Here are some Web sites and reports on tribal gaming and related issues:

"Background to Dream: Impacts of Tribal Gaming in Washington State" (298 KB), by Cheryl Simrell King and Casey Kanzler, July 2002 - Study assesses the impacts of tribal gaming on Indians, tribes and their surrounding communities in Washington State
Perchanga Net - News on Indian Gaming
Washington State Gambling Commission - Tribal Casino Issues
"Untaxed and Lightly Regulated," Washington Research Council, November 2002 - Assessment of casinos and their impact on state and local governments
Washington Indian Gaming News
Native Americans are Cashing-In with Gambling Casinos on the Reservation, from University of California at Berkeley class
"Economic Contributions of Indian Tribes to the Economy of Washington State" (1.28 MB), by Veronica E. Tiller and Robert A. Chase